September 17, 2026
This past summer, the 53rd General Assembly of the PCA, acting upon an overture (that is, a formal request for action) from our Presbytery, voted to urge all the Presbyteries in the denomination to set aside a suitable day during this month for God’s people to humble themselves before Him, fast, and pray.
Our current General Assembly Moderator, Ruling Elder Mel Duncan (brother of Dr. Ligon Duncan), asked two elders to put together a short work on the purpose and practice of fasting. I encourage you to read it as you have opportunity. Here’s a helpful portion:
“By humbling us with hunger, fasting reminds us of just how dependent we are upon the Lord. Without his provision of daily bread, our bodies soon become weak, and that weakness strips away every false notion of self-reliance. Fasting also reminds us that, while we need daily bread, we do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4). When we fast, the Lord intends for our physical appetite to stimulate our spiritual appetite. Like Job, we must learn to treasure the words of his mouth more than our necessary food (Job 23:12). We should use our natural desire for food and drink to prompt our souls to hunger and thirst for all the gifts and graces that accompany the kingdom of God. Physical hunger should lead us to a deeper understanding, appreciation, and experience of what it means to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psa. 34:8).”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus assumes that His people will fast (Matthew 6:16, “And when you fast…”). When the disciples of John the Baptist come to him and ask Jesus why His disciples do not fast like they and the Pharisees do, Jesus’ answer is not that fasting is pointless or an archaic practice. Rather, he tells them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” These are the days in which Jesus is no longer physically present with us, and we long for Him to return. Until He does, we long for Him to revive and renew us, and to use us to spread the knowledge of Him to every corner of the globe.
So this coming Monday, the Presbytery of the Mississippi Valley invites and encourages you to fast and pray with us. Highlands Presbyterian Church will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. for members of the churches of our Presbytery (and anyone else who would like to join us!) to pray together. There will be worship services there at 12:00 p.m. (Dr. David Irving preaching) and at 6:00 p.m. (Dr. David Strain preaching). Even if you’re not able to come to Highlands, or not able to refrain from food for a day, our Presbytery has put together this prayer guide for our use as we seek our Father’s face.
May the Lord hear and answer us according to His sovereign will. “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. . . Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Psalm 80:1, 3).